Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
no cigar
Spanish translation:
casi casi (México); por un pelito (México, Argentina); por poquito (México); por los pelos (España); por los pelos de Koyak (Esp
Added to glossary by
Michael Powers (PhD)
Dec 14, 2005 02:18
18 yrs ago
4 viewers *
English term
no cigar
English to Spanish
Social Sciences
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
I have decided to compile a somewhat thorough English-Spanish glossary, a long-standing goal I have had for many years but never actually done. In approximately 10% of the cases, I am recurring to you, my colleagues on Proz, to ask you to help me get appropriate translations into Spanish of a number of idioms.
I want to assure everyone that ALL TRANSLATIONS WILL BE SHARED on the open forum we have in Proz. The way I guarantee this is by choosing “one answer” to which I incorporate many of the other answers, and then I click to save the question and answer on the open Proz forum.
Selection criteria: 1) extensive usage throughout the Spanish-speaking world. I am counting on your help, and since usually colleagues simply agree without adding where they know the translated term to be used, I am not able to specify this in the answers. This is not a commercial enterprise, but rather an informal exercise for the benefit of all of us. 2) Many times there are really creative idioms that are used which, although not used necessarily throughout the Spanish-speaking world, would be readily understood by all. I am particularly happy to include these in the open forum so that we can all enjoy them in our use, whether literally, or perhaps with an adaptation to the degree that each translator deems appropriate for that particular target population.
Please, when you agree with an answer, mention the countries in which you know such idiom to be used, if not already mentioned by another colleague. Since this project is so time-consuming and endless, and since, like you, I have such a heavy load of translations and interpreting jobs to do and cannot spend umpteen million hours on it, I must count on your help. And although simply listing countries because another translator says so is in no way scientific, at least it is an interesting start.
Finally, I know context is everything. Quite often I will give the meaning(s) in which I am interested, and I will attempt to include a sample. Some sources, such as the Random House Dictionary, already have an example, so there is no need for me to do this, since time is of essence.
Thank you for your help.
definition: (of an attempt) amost, but not quite successful.
example:
Bafana's World Cup squad - Close but no cigar after first round.
I want to assure everyone that ALL TRANSLATIONS WILL BE SHARED on the open forum we have in Proz. The way I guarantee this is by choosing “one answer” to which I incorporate many of the other answers, and then I click to save the question and answer on the open Proz forum.
Selection criteria: 1) extensive usage throughout the Spanish-speaking world. I am counting on your help, and since usually colleagues simply agree without adding where they know the translated term to be used, I am not able to specify this in the answers. This is not a commercial enterprise, but rather an informal exercise for the benefit of all of us. 2) Many times there are really creative idioms that are used which, although not used necessarily throughout the Spanish-speaking world, would be readily understood by all. I am particularly happy to include these in the open forum so that we can all enjoy them in our use, whether literally, or perhaps with an adaptation to the degree that each translator deems appropriate for that particular target population.
Please, when you agree with an answer, mention the countries in which you know such idiom to be used, if not already mentioned by another colleague. Since this project is so time-consuming and endless, and since, like you, I have such a heavy load of translations and interpreting jobs to do and cannot spend umpteen million hours on it, I must count on your help. And although simply listing countries because another translator says so is in no way scientific, at least it is an interesting start.
Finally, I know context is everything. Quite often I will give the meaning(s) in which I am interested, and I will attempt to include a sample. Some sources, such as the Random House Dictionary, already have an example, so there is no need for me to do this, since time is of essence.
Thank you for your help.
definition: (of an attempt) amost, but not quite successful.
example:
Bafana's World Cup squad - Close but no cigar after first round.
Proposed translations
(Spanish)
Change log
Dec 14, 2005 02:25: Ana Brassara changed "Language pair" from "English to Spanish" to "Spanish to English"
Dec 14, 2005 02:25: Ana Brassara changed "Language pair" from "Spanish to English" to "English to Spanish"
Proposed translations
+13
9 mins
Selected
casi casi, ya merito, por poquito, por un pelito, por un pelo de rana calva (México)
Hola Mike,
Algunas opciones coloquiales que se usan en México para expresar que "por poquito y le atinabas, cuate."
Buena suerte y saludos del Oso ¶:^)
Algunas opciones coloquiales que se usan en México para expresar que "por poquito y le atinabas, cuate."
Buena suerte y saludos del Oso ¶:^)
Peer comment(s):
agree |
ConstanzaG
: por un pelito, en Argentina también
3 mins
|
Hola Constanza, muchas gracias por el dato y por tu agrí. ¶:^)
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agree |
Helena Genel
: también "por poco y..."
5 mins
|
¡Muchas gracias, Manya! Sí, también ¶:^)
|
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agree |
Yaotl Altan
: sos perfeccionista :)
12 mins
|
Muchas gracias, Yaotl. ¡Saludos! ¶:^)
|
|
agree |
Politi
: Saludos Oso!
16 mins
|
¡Hoola Politi! Muchas gracias ¶:^)
|
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agree |
Carmen Riadi
58 mins
|
Muchas gracias, Carmen ¶:^)
|
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agree |
Will Matter
2 hrs
|
Muchas gracias, willmatter ¶:^)
|
|
agree |
Michelle Correa (X)
6 hrs
|
Muchas gracias y saludos, Michelle ¶:^)
|
|
agree |
Penelope Ausejo
: "por los pelos" en España.
6 hrs
|
Hola pepis, muchas gracias por el dato y por tu agrí ¶:^)
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agree |
Pilar Esteban
6 hrs
|
Saludos y mil gracias, Pilar ¶:^)
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agree |
Anabel Martínez
7 hrs
|
Hola Aanabel, muchas gracias ¶:^)
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agree |
David Ryan Murúa
: En España también he oido y digo "Por los pelos de Koyak" ;)
9 hrs
|
¡Jaa! ¶:^D ¡Ésa está muy graciosa! Muchas gracias, David ¶:^)
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agree |
dawn45 (X)
: en España también medimos con pelos: "Le faltó un pelín". Lo de la rana es graciosísimo :-)
10 hrs
|
¡Hola Dawn! Muchas gracias, sí coinicidimos en el pelaje ¶;^) Me sigo riendo con la de Koyak que menciona David arriba ¶:^))) ¡Saludos! ¶:^)
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agree |
Yvonne Becker
18 hrs
|
Muchas gracias, Yvonne ¶:^)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "muchas gracias a todos
Mike :)"
7 mins
le pegó en el poste
Estuvo cerca, pero no lo logró. Casi fue gol.
Podría ser una opción. Espero te sirva.
Podría ser una opción. Espero te sirva.
+1
8 mins
faltón un suspiro
A ver que te parece esta..
Saludos
Gerardo
Le faltó un suspiro, Somarriba corona su adiós con una plata que sabe a oro Le
faltó un suspiro para vestirse de oro, un metal que ya conoce, ...
www.sport.jdmag.net/news/22092005/index-3-0-0-9-2-.html
Saludos
Gerardo
Le faltó un suspiro, Somarriba corona su adiós con una plata que sabe a oro Le
faltó un suspiro para vestirse de oro, un metal que ya conoce, ...
www.sport.jdmag.net/news/22092005/index-3-0-0-9-2-.html
Peer comment(s):
agree |
dawn45 (X)
: En España, sí. Un saludo.
10 hrs
|
Gracias y saludos
|
8 mins
hasta por ahí no más / ni ahí
Dos expresiones muy usadas en la Argentina actualmenmte:
Le anduvo cerca, pero hasta por ahí no más.
O:
Le anduvo cerca, pero ni ahí.
Le anduvo cerca, pero hasta por ahí no más.
O:
Le anduvo cerca, pero ni ahí.
+2
53 mins
raspando
Así se dice en Argentina también: "pasó raspando".
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Carmen Riadi
: También en Chile: "pasó raspando"
14 mins
|
Gracias Carmen!
|
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agree |
dawn45 (X)
: y en España; y en diminutivo: "raspandito". Un saludo.
9 hrs
|
Gracias!!
|
+1
10 hrs
English term (edited):
Close, but no cigar
le faltó un pelo/pelín // le anduvo cerca / se quedó en el umbral o a la puerta / rozó la victoria
Pongo dos posibles orígenes de la expresión porque es muy curioso:
"Close, but no cigar
Even a near miss is still a miss. The saying probably originated with carnival contests in which **a cigar was the prize** for hitting a target".
http://www.bartleby.com/59/3/closebutnoci.html1
Origin
Early slot machines gave out **cigars as prizes**.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/95100.html
Un cordial saludo.
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Note added at 10 hrs 25 mins (2005-12-14 12:43:59 GMT)
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Otra: "quedarse a un paso de..."
"Close, but no cigar
Even a near miss is still a miss. The saying probably originated with carnival contests in which **a cigar was the prize** for hitting a target".
http://www.bartleby.com/59/3/closebutnoci.html1
Origin
Early slot machines gave out **cigars as prizes**.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/95100.html
Un cordial saludo.
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Note added at 10 hrs 25 mins (2005-12-14 12:43:59 GMT)
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Otra: "quedarse a un paso de..."
10 hrs
quedarse con la miel en los labios
Recordé mi favorita.
Brasil campeón del Mundo Sub-17 : Derrotó a España en la final ...
Como sucedió en la final de 1991 contra Ghana, España **se quedó con la miel en los labios** tras un torneo de menos a más en el que ha demostrado un amor ...
www.univision.com/content/ content.jhtml?chid=4&schid=328&secid=357&cid=251469
Brasil campeón del Mundo Sub-17 : Derrotó a España en la final ...
Como sucedió en la final de 1991 contra Ghana, España **se quedó con la miel en los labios** tras un torneo de menos a más en el que ha demostrado un amor ...
www.univision.com/content/ content.jhtml?chid=4&schid=328&secid=357&cid=251469
+1
11 hrs
le faltó el canto de un duro
En España, aunque ahora con los euros, digo yo que caerá en desuso, tal vez...
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Note added at 15 hrs 23 mins (2005-12-14 17:42:13 GMT)
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Muchas gracias!
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Note added at 15 hrs 23 mins (2005-12-14 17:42:13 GMT)
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Muchas gracias!
Peer comment(s):
agree |
dawn45 (X)
: ¡es verdad! Se emplea muchísimo en España :-))
3 hrs
|
Muchas gracias!
|
1 day 23 hrs
Perdio (perdieron) por una nariz
In the horse races when a horse wins for a very small margin they say "Gano por una nariz." and if it losses the race "Perdio por una nariz".
Discussion